New Phase Begins in Alarko Holding's Pioneers of Entrepreneurship Project!

Alarko Holding, known for its transformative projects in social life and the business world, has commenced the new phase of the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship project. This initiative, launched last year in collaboration with the Habitat Association, continues to lead the way in innovation and development. The project aims to boost the active participation of aspiring women entrepreneurs in the business world by equipping them with essential 21st-century skills. It contributes to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, aligning to create a more productive and inclusive world. The project aims to reach more than 1,400 women entrepreneur candidates by the end of the year and has achieved 2.5 times the social value compared to the results in 2023, the first year of the project.

The new phase of the "Pioneers of Entrepreneurship" project has been launched by Alarko Holding, which, with its 70-year history, its power to influence a wide ecosystem, and its pioneering role in the sectors in which it operates, is one of the most important actors of social and economic change in Turkey.

In the second year of the project, which promotes women's entrepreneurship through training and support and helps them play a more active role in the economy, 337 potential women entrepreneurs from 51 provinces completed the first module training in March. The second module, which will open for application on 5 April, will be held between 24 April and 1 May 2024. The training, which will include theoretical and practical content on the fundamentals of digital marketing and the tools used to produce digital marketing content, will cover topics such as “Design-Oriented Thinking," "Financial Literacy," "Digital Literacy," "Etsy," "Canva," "Branding," "Entrepreneurship," and more. The project will be supported by in-person training sessions in the Eastern and Southeastern regions this year and aims to reach more than 1,400 women entrepreneurs by the end of the year.

In the second phase of the project, an open call called "Pioneers of Production" will provide in-kind support to women entrepreneurs in manufacturing, agricultural production, services, and digital production in the earthquake zone. Women entrepreneurs who complete the training will take a significant step toward their dreams by presenting their business plans to a jury.

2.5 times social value achieved in the first period of the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship project

The program is one of the most tangible projects of Alarko Holding's commitment to promoting an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem and directly contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals of “Ensuring gender equality and reducing inequalities". In the first year of the program, 420 women received training support, and technology support was provided to 3 female entrepreneurial candidates who were ranked in the Ideathon held at the end of the project. According to the 2023 social impact analysis measuring the project's effectiveness, 62% of the women reported that this was their first time attending such training sessions, and satisfaction levels exceeded 90%.

Among the project participants, 65% of those who did not previously have a business or venture expressed that they are now considering starting one, thanks to the knowledge and experience they gained during the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship Project.

The SROI (social return on investment) of the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship Project, which empowers women by fostering their entrepreneurial spirit and providing them with new perspectives, was recorded at 2.51. In other words, the project generated 2.5 times its budget in social value.